DigitalCamp & Dragons

WHAT IS DIGITALCAMP & DRAGONS?

We’re an emergent online camp using roleplaying games!

DigitalCamp & Dragons is an exciting social camp your child can participate in from home while social distancing, open while schools are shut during the current crisis.

How does it work?

One teacher runs an analog roleplaying game (RPG) such as Dungeons & Dragons for a group of 4-5 kids two days of the week via video chat.

It’s incredibly engaging, genuinely educational, and an opportunity for your kids to socialize with peers from home for several hours a day.

Sign up for 1 week at a time, planning for up to 3 weeks of sessions.

Register Now

Before you sign up, please make sure that these technologies work on the machine your child will be using. We are using zoom.us for video camp services. You will need a computer or tablet capable of streaming video with a camera, headphones and a microphone, and an internet connection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this really hold my child’s attention?

If you or your child hasn’t experienced the magic of analog roleplaying before, it’s a little hard to imagine how truly engaging it is. Imagine a series of Marvel Avengers movies– except they get to be the Avengers and decide what to do, how to do it, and what to care about, and the story unfolds around their choices! The hard part is tearing them away.

Can my child sign up with their friends?

Yes! Message us directly if you want to sign up with a group of 4, and we’ll arrange it with a teacher for you. This is a great way to spend extended quality time with friends that your kids can’t see in person!

How do I know my child will be safe with strangers online?

Your child will remain with the same small group during the duration of the camp: 3-4 other children of the same age, and one experienced teacher. There will be no adults present other than the teacher (or a similarly qualified substitute in case of emergency). Your teacher has abundant expertise in social and emotional safety tools for children and for this type of activity: in fact, some of the best work in the world on collaborative safety and inclusion is being currently done by the analog RPG community!

Do you offer refunds if my child doesn’t like it or we miss a session?

If your child would like to drop, we’re happy to refund you pro-rated for the rest of the week if we can find a replacement attendee. Because this is our teachers’ supplementary livelihood during the crisis, we have no revenue buffer to offer a refund for an empty space. We understand that sometimes technology fails us. However, we don’t have the resources to provide specialized tech support, nor refunds for missed sessions, at this time.

What communication will I receive about how things are going?

Our teachers will be happy to chat with you about how your child is doing. If an incident happens during the camp itself (such as your child dropping off the call), they will notify you by phone immediately.

How do I get off a waitlist?

We are working to open new groups as quickly as signups fill. Get off the waitlist by simply helping us recruit 2-3 other kids to join with your child!

Does my child need to know Dungeons & Dragons?

No, our game masters will run a game that needs no materials or prior knowledge to play. While some games might specifically use Dungeons & Dragons 5E rules and materials, our educators are able to craft individual game experiences for the children in each session. No matter what, your kid will get to play a story game where they are a hero on a grand adventure.

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Why Analog RPGs for Kids?

It’s fantastic at occupying attention

In a roleplaying game, participants get to be the heroes of an extended story that everyone tells together. It’s a deeply engaging, ever-evolving, and wholesome activity that can hold kids’ attention for hours on end. Yes, seriously!

Collaboration & socioemotional skills

Participants will work together to share ownership of a story. They’ll negotiate outcomes, make plans together, and practice being supportive of each others’ desires and needs.

It’s not “screen time”

From moment-to-moment, children’s chief activities will be talking and socializing with peers, making plans and calculations, and telling stories: not clicking on buttons to receive content.

Practice safe socialization

The most obvious motive: it’s a highly social, fun, healthy activity to keep your kids occupied while they have to stay indoors!

Educational content

Participants will solve open-ended problems, do research in-game, make calculations, learn about the natural world, and practice verbal skills.

World-class children’s game facilitators are suddenly underemployed

During the crisis, people who make their living running RPG camps and afterschool activities for kids are suddenly facing an abrupt drop to zero income for the month. Our list of teachers is a who’s who of the kids indie RPG world– they would never be available for this under normal circumstances.

Accessibility Statement

DigitalCamp & Dragons is committed to creating an equal playing field for all students wanting to participate. At time of launch, we have the capacity to support students with disabilities in a variety of ways, and plan to expand our support structures to create even more inclusion down the road.

Our sessions are run via Zoom, which provides live closed captioning, screen reader compatibility and keyboard accessibility. We are working on an in chat tool that will allow players to roll their dice online, providing access for blind players accessing chat via screen reader.

In addition to technological supports, we also have the capability to run sessions for students on the autism spectrum, with teachers who have backgrounds in special education.

We are working to close gaps where we find them in order to support students of all abilities in play and learning. Future options could include text based games for D/deaf players, and other adaptations we may not know we need yet! If you have any further questions about accessibility or the steps we are taking to provide access, please email: accessibility@avalongamecafe.com.